Hi Chris,
City-data.com is a really good site to find out about specific cities. I would highly suggest checking it out then going to the areas and checking them out in person. Another thing, most cities in Mn have their own web site. If you google the city name like Golden Valley, MN a link should pop up http://www.ci.goldenvalley.mn.us. Just look for the ci.mn.us portion to get to the actual city site.

Thank you all for your input. I greatly appreciate it.

Have a nice day!

Non-pro answer here. Before I give my 2 cents I am going to second the poster who mentioned Linden Hills and Old Edina. That is my favorite part of the city. You would find a nice house in that price range there. Crime is pretty non-existent.

Now for my 2 cents....I am quite surprised no one has recommended St Louis Park. It is right next to Golden Valley...and is very close to the lakes and uptown Minneapolis and all the coffee shops and bike paths you will need. 400-600 will get you a very nice house there (on the upper end) closer to the lakes which is the nicer part. Much of St Louis park is pretty average and houses are smaller...but the the Minikahda Vista and Browndale neighborhoods on the map below are very nice.

http://www.stlouispark.org/pdf/neighmap.pdf

They are about a 10 minute bikeride to the lake and uptown and there is virtually no crime there either.

I grew up in Golden Valley, and it's not the most walk/bike oriented community, but the Tyroll Hills neighborhood and areas west toward Park Valley school between Wirth Parkway, Glenwood Ave and I-394 might come closest to your requirements. Other nice neighborhoods include Windsor Woods, the Sweeney Lake area and the area just west of Minneapolis both north and south of Golden Valley Road which includes Heathbrooke and the area around Bassett Creek and the Golden Valley Country Club. The country club area is closest to "downtown" Golden Valley where there are shops, restaurants, coffee, etc. Overall, it is a very safe community.

You'll probably find most of what you're looking for in the Hopkins area -- lots to walk to, with a couple of bike trails that go through town. Many Hopkins houses are small, with small yards, so you may want to look at the "Hobby Acres" area of Hopkins -- between 5th Avenue and Highway 169. Another great option is the neighborhood just north of the Lunds grocery store shopping area at Highway 7 & Hopkins Crossroad (County Rd 73). Lots of nice houses, larger yards, walk to Lunds & coffee shops, bike trail right there, etc.
I live in the Hopkins-Minnetonka area, used to live in Golden Valley.

You'll probably find most of what you're looking for in the Hopkins area -- lots to walk to, with a couple of bike trails that go through town. Many Hopkins houses are small, with small yards, so you may want to look at the "Hobby Acres" area of Hopkins -- between 5th Avenue and Highway 169. Another great option is the neighborhood just north of the Lunds grocery store shopping area at Highway 7 & Hopkins Crossroad (County Rd 73). Lots of nice houses, larger yards, walk to Lunds & coffee shops, bike trail right there, etc.
I live in the Hopkins-Minnetonka area, used to live in Golden Valley.

If you're looking for biking/walking trails, then you will LOVE the Twin Cities. The biking trails in metro area ROCK!!!...check out the City of Minneapolis website to learn more about the Minneapolis area. Also, the SW LRT trail extends out west (see the Three Rivers District website).. Some cities like Golden Valley and my home town of Edina don't have as extensive of a trail system as Minneapolis does...but...if you're in the right spot in those cities it's easy enough to join up with the Minneapolis and SW Light Rail Trail systems....We love biking/running/walking in the Twin Cities...it's awesome...take a look at our website to see a couple of videos of some of our rides/walks through the trail system.

Living in Golden Valley is an excellent option and value. This is especially true if you locate near Wirtth Parkway/Memorial Parkway. Robbinsdale is also a great small town in the middle of the big city. Lots of home for your money here.

That was an excellent answer... thanks J Reul for the contribution!

Chris,
I know Madison, and so I can describe Mpls in terms of similarities. For your needs, location and price range, your best bet is the West Calhoun./ Linden Hills area. You'll get a great, safe, neighborhood for the price, and can walk/bike etc. It would be like Madison's West High/Edgewood/Monroe Street area.

Nokomis has a mix of homes, some are very nice, but there is significant airport noise, and I would compare it more to the Williamson Street area. And it would not be an easy commute to Golden Valley,

If you're looking for something like Shorewood Hills, check out Cedar/Isles, Kenwood areas, but you'll pay more. "Old" Edina is nice but you'll pay a premium to be in that school district.

Golden Valley is going to be more ike the area between Hilldale and West Towne Mall.

Hope this helps.

I've been a resident of Golden Valley for 7 years and enjoy the area, but there isn't a lot of things you can walk/bike to, other than the "downtown" at Winnetka & Hwy 55, because Golden Valley is more of a suburb than a urban city. If you're really looking for. Based on the price point your're talking and the amenities, I'd suggest you look at Minneapolis-Nokomis, Minneapolis-Southwest, Minneapolis-Calhoun/Ises, northern Edina and the east side of St. Louis Park.

As a licensed agent I cannot speak to "good" or "bad" neighborhoods but the crime reports online are a good step... although I really recommend walking/biking the neighborhoods to get a better feel.

Hope this helps.

Hi Chris...

I'd love to tell you exactly myself of the cime statistics in Golden Valley, however, as a licensed agent, my license will not allow me to do so. Here is the best place to find all the stats, though!

http://www.ci.golden-valley.mn.us/publicsafety/crimemaps/'

Golden Valley is a great place to live!

I hope this helps!

Thanks, Todd Norsted